Paper-feed-actuating mechanism for voting-machines.



10.847.109 PATENTBD MAR. 12, 1907.

c. H. PITNBY. PAPER FEED AGTUATING MBGHANISM PoR-VOTING MACHINES.

I APPL-ATION FILED JAN. 7, 1907.

: ENIOR YH: Nnmzls PETER; ca., wAsumGroN. D. c.

UNITED srnfpns Prnnrornron CHARLES H. PITNEY, OF PITT SFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRI- UMPH VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OFPITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PAPERv-FEED-AGTUTING NIECHANISNI FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application iiled January 7,1907. Serial No. 351,054.

To LZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. PITNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Paper Feed-Actuating Mechanism forVoting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that portion of 1o the mechanism ofvoting-machines which enables an independent voter to cast his vote forcandidates of his own selection for any or all of the oflices to bevoted for, wholly independently of party nominations.

I 5 A roll of paper, called an independent-voting sheet, is providedwhich is carried by a vertical shaft called the supply-shaft, from whichit passes to a receiving-shaft, being drawn over an intermediatebacking-plate,

2O which supports it while votes are written thereon. A series ofvoting-apertures are provided in the front plate of the machine, whichare protected by sliding shutters. When the shutter is opened, a portionof the independent-voting sheet is disclosed upon which a vote maybewritten. After voting, the voter operates mechanism, which I shallsimply refer to as exit mechanism, which by means of intermediateconnections closes the shutter or shutters which he has opened and locksthem and also actuates the receiving-shaft to draw theindependent-voting sheet forward and place a fresh portion of itssurface in position on the backing-plate for a vote or votes to bewritten thereon by the neXt independent voter.

The object of the invention is to provide positive, simple, and durablemeans for actuating the paper-receiving shaft after one or more of theindependent shutters have been opened, but at no other time.

With this end in view I have devised the novel mechanism which I willnowdescribe, referring to the accompanying drawing,

A5 forming a part of this speciiication, and using reference charactersto indicate the several parts. y

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of so much of the mechanism of avoting-machine as is necessary to illustrate my present invention,certain of the parts appearing in plan 3 Fig. 2,

a rear elevation corresponding with Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail rearelevation, onl a reduced scale, showing a single shutter in the closedposition; Fig. 4, a similar view, the shutter being partly open; andFig. 5 is a similar view, the shutter being in the fully-open position.

The invention is shown as applied to the Triumph voting-machine.

10 denotes the independent-voting sheet, which is wound uponpaper-supply shaft 11 and rests upon a disk 12, which is rigidly securedto the shaft. The sheet as it is unwound from shaft 11 passes over abackingplate 13 and is Wound upon paper-receiving shaft I4. The roll ofpaper on the receivingshaft rests upon a disk 15, which is rigidlysecured to the shaft. f

16 denotes a front plate which is provided with a series ofvoting-apertures 17, correspondingl with the number of offices that maybe voted for on the machine, one of said voting-apertures only appearingin the drawing. Corresponding with each votingaperture in the frontplate is a shutter 18, which slides in ways 19 and 20 upon the innerside of the front plate. Each shutter is provided with a voting-aperture21, which when the shutter is opened for independent voting registerswith the corresponding aperture 17 in the front plate. At the rear endof aperture 21 is a lug or pin 22, formed integral with the shutter orrigidly secured thereto, which projects through the correspendingaperture 17 in the front plate and serves as a finger-piece in openingand closing the shutter and also to limit the movement of the shutter inopening and closing.

At the rear end of each shutter is an inwardly extending closing lug orpin 23, which may either be formed integral with the shutter or rigidlysecured thereto. Upon the upper edge of each shutter is an incline 24,which coacts With one of a series of pins 25, extending from aclutch-rod 26, which is shown as socketed in a channel 27 in the frontplate. l

54 denotes clearance-notches in ways 19 and 20, which receive pins 25,but have no function.

28 denotes a driving-bar which has two IOO movements imparted to it `bythe exit mechanism, which is not shown, as it forms no portion of thepresent invention.

Supposing the driving-har to he at its normal position in Fig. 1, thefirst movement thereof produced hy the exit mechanism is toward the lettand the second movement to- Ward the right, returning it to its normalposition. These movements are imparted to the driving-har each time avoter leaves the machine, without regard to whether .he has votedregularly or independently.

29 denotes a rack which is cut into or rigidly secured to the driving-;ar, and 30 a pinion which meshes with rack 29 and is mounted tooseillate freely on paper-receiving shaft 14. This pinion is provided onits upper tace with a fixed clutch mein er 31, which is l which isprovided wiiii adapted to te engaged ly sliding clutchl inem`1er 32 on asleeve 33. This sleeve is keyed to the paper-receiving shaft, so as tomove longitudinally thereon, and carries said ment, the key eingindieatedi y 34. 33 is provided with a groove 35, which receives a yoke36 on clutch-lever 37. The

Sleeve i i or non-voting position, exeep t in the manner provided, earchshutter is provided with a pivoted locking pawl 41, which engages a rack42 on the corresponding way 20. Each pawl is shown as provided with alifting-pin 43. 44 denotes the shutteiclosing i ai',

i Ylingers 45, one only l eing "hewn iii the drawing, which engage thelifting-pins 42:3 to raise the pawls on open shutters out ot engagementwi th. the racks at each actuation ol? said ar. shalt when the clutchmem: ers are in engagel clutch-lever has its tulerum in a stud 3S andpivoted to clutch-rod 26, as at 39. 40 deler. In use when a shutterisropened y an independent voter the movement ol the and engaging racknotes light coil-spring, which may or may l not lie interposed iY etweenthe huh ot disk 14 l and the sleeve 33 ot the sliding clutch meini i i ll shutter toward the lett, as seen in the diawing, will cause theincline 24 thereon to engage the corresponding pin 25, extending;

from clutch-rod 26, there` y raising the rod, which tilts theclutch-lever and pla/ies the sliding clutch nieniV er, which is keyed tosha'tt 14, in engagement with the 'lixed clutch meinr er on pinion 30,which engages the rack on the driving-l ar. Then a shutter is returnedto the closed or non-voting position, pins 25 will ride along` the upperedge of opened shutters until the inclines reach the pins when by theaction ol" gravity the pins will ride down the inclines, which permitsclutch-rod 26 to drop downward and tilts the clutch-lever in theopposite direction, thereby raising the sliding clutch memlrer out otengagement with the 'Iixed clutch memler and severing all connectionbetween the driving-har and the receiving-shaft. makes no dil'lierence,so tar as the operation of the clutch vmechanism is concerned, whetherone shutter is opened or a plurality ot shutters are opened. The inclineupon each shutter when the shutter is moved to the open position engagesa pin on the elutcli-rod, raising the latter, so that it is whollyimmaterial hy which shutter or hy how many shutters the clutch-rod isoperated. Spring 40 merely assists gravity in moving the sliding clutch4G denotes racks to which the shutterclosing ar rigiely secured andwhich reeipro cate in ways 47.

48 denotes piiiions on vertical shalt 4S), which rthe racks. lhis shallis driven ivy means oiE a pinion 50, carried y a stud 51 on thedrivii'lg-` ai' and an intermediate pinion 52 en a stud 533, whicheiigages pinion 50 and also engages the lowir pinion. 4B on shaft 1l-).This arrangement olt gearing aci` to move the shutterelosing l ai' iodiiy toward the righ when the drivingis moved toward the lett.

The operation is as follows: it will olz course he understood that inregularvoting tite clutch mech Aiisiii above deserihed is inopeative ando ly comes into use when a voter votes ier indepei lent candidates lierone cr more ollices. 'lne voter opers the shutter or shutters ce'espoiidiiig with the ol'lice or ol'lices tor which he desires to voteindependently and writes his vote upon the independent-vcting sheet. Byhis act ol opening one or more shutters he has caused one or more et thepins 25 on clutch-rod 2o to ride up an incline on a shutter, therebyraising the clutch-rod, tilting the clutch-lever, and placing thesliding clutch meniher iii eiigagenient with the Vlixed clutch member.The operation of the exit mechanism moves the driving-haij toward theleft and actuates pinions 30 and 50. As the clutch members areconnected, pinion 30 will drive paper-receiving shaft 14 and will wind aportion ol the independent-voting sheet thereon, the used portion heiiigcarried past the hackingplate, and a fresh portion ot the surface olsaid sheet being placed in position on the hacking plate for a vote orvotes to he written thereon hy the next independent voter.Simultaneously with the actuation ot the paper-receiving shaft pinion 50and the inter TOO mediate connections Will move shutter-closing bar 44bodily toward the right. The fingers 45 on said bar Will engage the pins43 on the pawls 41 on the opened shutters and disengage said paWls fromracks 20, and an instant later the bar itself will engage closing lugsor pins 23 on the open shutters and move them to the closed position. Asthe opened shutters approach the fully-closed position the correspondingpins 25, extending from clutch-rod 26, Will ride down inclines 24 uponthe shutters, which Will permit the clutch-rod to drop, Which in turnWill oscillate the clutch-lever and move the sliding clutch member toits disengaged position, leaving the paper-receiving shaft Whollydisconnected from the driving-bar. When the return movement of thedriving-b ar toward the right takes place, pinion 30 will be rotatedthereby, but Without imparting movement to the receiving-shaft, andpinion and the intermediate connections Will move the shutterclosing bartoward the left, returning it to its normal position.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a mechanism of thecharacter described, the combination with a paper-receiving shaft'having a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, a pinion loose on saidshaft and a xed clutch member carried by said pinion, of a slidingshutter and intermediate connections actuated by the shutter forconrecting and disconnecting the clutch memers.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination Witha paer-receiving shaft having a sliding clutcli member keyed thereto, apinion loose on said shaft and a fixed clutch member carried by saidpinion, of a clutch-lever engaging the sliding clutch member, aclutch-rod pivoted to the clutch-lever, and a sliding shutter Whichlifts the clutch-rod and tilts the clutch-lever.

3. In amechanism of the character described, the combination With apaper-receiv ing shaft having a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, apinion loose on said shaft and a fixed clutch member carried by saidpinion, of a clutch-lever engaging the sliding clutch member, aclutch-rod pivoted to the clutch-lever and having a pin extendingtherefrom and a sliding shutter having an incline Which engages the pin,raises the clutch-rod and tilts the clutch-lever when the shutter ismoved to the open position, said pin riding doWn the incline, permittingthe clutch-rod to drop, and tilting the clutchlever in the oppositedirection when the shutter is moved to the closed position.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, tlie combination With apap er-receiving shaft having a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, afixed clutch member carried by said pinion, a spring acting on saidclutch member, a pinion loose on said shaft and a fixed clutch membercarried by said pinion, of a sliding shutter and intermediateconnectionsactuated by the shutter for connecting and disconnecting` theclutch members.

5. In a mech anisni of the character described, the combination with apaper-receiving shaft having a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, apinion loose on said shaft and a fixed clutch member carried by saidpinion, of a clutch-lever engaging the sliding clutch member, aclutch-rod pivoted to the clutch-lever, a sliding shutter Which liftsthe clutch-rod and tilts the clutch-lever, means for locking a partly orWholly opened shutter against return movement and means for unlockingopened shutters and returning them to the closed position andsimultaneously disengaging the clutch members.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a paper-supply shaft, a paper-receiving shaft on which the paper is Woundtherefrom and a backingplate intermediate said shafts over Which thepaper is drawn, for the purpose set forth, of a sliding clutch memberkeyed to the paper-receiving shaft, a pinion loose on said shaft, afixed clutch member carried by said pinion, a sliding shutter andintermediate connections actuated by the shutter for connecting anddisconnecting the clutch members.

7. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination With a paper-supply shaft, a paper-receiving shaft on Which the paper is Woundtherefrom and a backingplate intermediate said shafts over Which thepaper is drawn, for the purpose set forth, of a sliding clutch memberkeyed to the paper-receiving shaft, a pinion loose on said shaft, a xedclutch member carried by said pinion, a clutch-lever engaging thesliding clutch member, a clutch-rod pivoted to the clutchlever and asliding shutter which engages and lifts the clutch-rod and tilts theclutch-lever to place the clutch members in engagement.

8. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination With apaper-receiving shaft, a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, a pinionloose on said shaft and a fixed clutch member carried by said pinion, ofa clutch-lever engaging the sliding clutch member, a clutch-rod pivotedto the clutchlever and having pins extending therefrom, a plurality ofsliding shutters which engage said pins to lift the clutch-rod, tilt theclutchlever and engage the clutch members and` means for moving openedshutters to the closed position and permit the pins to ride doWn theinclines and the clutch-rod to drop and tilt the clutch-lever todisengage the clutch members.

9. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination With apaper-re- IOO IIO

eeiving shaft having a sliding clutch member keyed thereto, a pinionloose on said shaft and a fixed clutch member Carried by said pinion, ofa elutehelever engaging the sliding clutch member, a clutch-rod pivotedto the clutch-lever and having a pin extending therefrom and a slidingshutter having an ineline which engages the pin and raises theclutch-rod to move the Sliding Clutch member downward into engagementwith theA

